Melike Pala
23 June 2026•Update: 23 June 2026
The European Union launched a new "Connectivity Agenda Platform" in Brussels aimed at accelerating transport, energy and digital infrastructure projects along the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR), officials said on Tuesday.
The initiative seeks to bring together governments, international financial institutions and private investors to coordinate development along the trans-Caspian trade route, which has gained strategic importance since disruptions to northern and southern trade corridors in recent years.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the platform is designed to "connect initiatives, identify gaps and build a shared investment pipeline" across the corridor, which spans from China through Kazakhstan, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and into Europe.
Kos said trade flows along the Middle Corridor have already increased significantly since 2022 and could multiply further in the coming decades, with EU-backed analysis projecting a potential five-fold increase by 2040.
She added that the corridor could reduce transport times between Asia and Europe from around 45 days to approximately 15 days through improved infrastructure and coordination.
The EU also announced that over €80 million ($91 million) in funding will be mobilized to support projects worth more than €2 billion across participating regions, including countries such as Ukraine and Moldova.
Officials said the platform builds on the existing Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor coordination framework and is intended to strengthen long-term cooperation with partners in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Türkiye, a key transit hub in the corridor, reiterated its strategic role in the initiative.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said global supply chain disruptions have underscored the need for "reliable, resilient and high-capacity land corridors."
He noted that the Middle Corridor is no longer only a regional opportunity but a strategic economic link for both Europe and Asia, adding that investments in railways, ports and logistics infrastructure in Türkiye are central to ensuring smooth east-west connectivity.
Uraloglu also called for faster border procedures and improved cross-border coordination to maximize the corridor's efficiency, stressing that future success should be measured not only by cargo volumes but also by the economic value created along the route.
"Türkiye is playing a key role in this agenda," Kos also told reporters ahead of the meeting, pointing to the importance of linking routes through Nakhchivan and strengthening coordination with Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Kos said the EU is ready to support the opening of two border crossings with Türkiye and one with Azerbaijan, calling them "crucial" for ensuring smooth trade flows once volumes increase further.
